Automatic irrigator.



H; G. HEATH. AUTOMATIC IRRIGATOR. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11, 1912.

1,085,609. Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

I gators of the class wherein a water distrib 10 Cajon, in the county UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

HARRY CLABK HEATH, F CAJ'ON, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC IRRIGATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1 914.

Application filed December 11, 1912. Serial No. 738,217.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY CLARK HEATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented a new and useful Automatic Irrigator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic irriuting pipe is propelled over the field to be irrigated by hydraulic motive means, and the main object of the present invention is to provide an automatic irrigator with hydraulic motive means of improved construction, so as to increase the effectiveness of the water supplied to the motor in driving the distributer. f

Another object of the invention is to provide motive means whereby the direction of movement of the distributer may be readily changed-either in forward, reverse or transverse-directions.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention, and referring thereto:

Figure 1 is a. plan view of the automatic irrigator. "Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a partial rear elevation of one of the supporting and driving wheels and its adjacent parts. Fig. 4 is an end' elevation of the irrigator. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the irrigator taken directly alongside the supporting wheel. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of a modified form of the invention. Fig. 7 is a. perspective view of the flexible connections'from the supply pipe to the irrigating means. i The invention comprises a water distributer pipe 1 connected to suitable water supply means, such as a flexible hose 2 at one end thereof, and provided with suitable distributing means .such as nozzles 3 for distributing water at various points along the line of the pipe 1, and motive means for supporting and propelling this distributing pipe. One of such motive means may be provided at each end of the pipe or at any other desired positionthereon, and a description of one of such motive devices will suffice for all.

Each motive device comprises a pair of wheels 4 adapted to run onthe ground, a frame 5 connected to the pipe 1, bearings ed on the hub of said wheel ing with spring pawls 13 on mally hold "said frame 5 and carrying the pipe 6 for said wheels adj ustably mounted on said frame, and hydraulic means operating on one or more of said wheels 4 to turn the same. Said hydraulic means comprises a tank 8 carried .by a .lever 9 pivotally mount- 4, said lever 9 being provided with shoulders 12engagthe wheel 4, so that in the downward movement of the tank8, the said lever will rotate the wheel forward and in the upward movement of thetank, the shoulders 12 will slip over said pa-wls. Such upward movement of the lever 9 is effected by a weighted portion 15 of said lever. The lever 9 is preferably formed with an open frame portion 9 so as to embrace the wheel 4 and such frame portion is provided with an upward bend or saddle portion 16 adapted to rest on the hub of the wheel 4. The tank 8 is provided with a valve opening 18 in its outer end, normally closed by a valve plug 19 on a lever 20, said lever being pressed by a spring 21 to norsaid valve plug closed. A rod or wire 22 leads from said lever to a lever 23 pivotally mounted on the lever 9 adjacent to the bearing for wheel 4, and a fixed projection 24 on said bearing is adapted to engage said lever23 to cause the valve 19 to be opened when the tank moves to lowermost posit-ion. Said projection 24 also serves to limit the angular anovement of the lever 9 in this direction and another pro jection 26 on the bearing 6 serves to limit the angular movement of the lever 9 in the reverse direction. A pipe 28 communicating with the supply pipe 1 extends adjacent to the bearing for wheel 4 and is connected by a flexible pipe or hose 29 to a pipe 30 on the lever 9, communicatingat its outer end with the tank 8 so-as to supply water to said tank. Bearings 6 for wheels 4 are rotatably mounted on the frame 5, for example, by knuckles or pivotal connections, see Fig.3, the axle 33 for the wheel being connected to a-sleeve 34 which is rotatably mounted on an upright 35 on frame 5 and clamped in any desired position by a nut 36.

The distributer or irrigating pipe 1 is preferably adjustable on. the frame 5, for example, by means of saddles 38 hung on 1, removable plugs 39 being provided which may be inserted below or above the pipe 1 so as to adjust the height thereof as required. Moreover, in case the machine is to be run over a'crop standing at unusual height, the frame 5 with its attached wheels may be inverted so as to bring the pipe-1 above 1n-' stead of below the center of the wheels 4, the o erating lever 9 being removed from the wheels and replaced on the same after inversion thereof.

'The operation of this form of the mvention is as follows: The irrigator having been brought to paper position inthe field and being connec to the water supply hose 2, the bearings 6 for wheels 4 are adjusted to proper osition to set the wheels 4 in the proper irection to cause the distributer pipe 1 to move in a direction transverse to 1ts own length when the wheels are turned.

The water bein turned on through the hose 2 passes throug the pipe 1, a portion of this water assing through the pipes 28, 29. and 30 to t e respective tank 8 and-fillmg said tank, and the weight of the water in the tank causing lever 9 to turn on its pivotal support and by engagement of the shoulders 12 with the pawls 13 to turn the wheel 4, so

as to propel the distributer pipe forwardly. When the tank 8 reaches its lowermost tion shown in full lines in Fig. 4, the ever 23. will engage projection 24 to cause valve 19 to be opened and allow the water to escape from the tank 8, whereupon the lewer 9 is raised to its uppermost position, shown in full lines in Fig. 5, by the weight 15, the

lever 9 thus oscillating up and down and imarting a rotative movement to the wheel 4 y a step-by-step or ratchet movement. By

making the lever 9 of the required length,

any desired amount of leverage may be given to the weight of the water in tank 8, so that the efi'ectiveness of the water in operating the wheel is correspondingly increased and sufiicient power may be thus obtained to drive the distributer or irrigator even over ou'gh ground. While the irrigator is be ing propelled in this manner over the field, the rest of the water delivered to the pipe 1 passes out throu h the nozzles 3 and serves to irrigate the fie d. When the machine has traversed the field in this manner, "bearings 6 for wheels 4 may be turned so as to set the wheels parallelwith the pipe 1, and onthen turning on the water, the operation of the I motive devices will cause the machine to be propelled lengthwise of the pipe 1 or transosiversely of the field into the positioniforrun-- nin acrossanother portion ofthe field.

e' invention is not limited to the con-,

.struction above described in which both ends of the distributin pipe travel over the field, but may be a p led in connection-With a form such as s own in Fig. 6, wherein one mounted on a stand pipe 40 the 0th r end bearings for the wheels 4' may be f ed on the frame 5 which supports thepipe 1'.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic irrigator comprising a water distributing pipe, frames portmg said pipeywheels far supporting sai frames, a lever mounted to swlng in a vert1cal plane,

said wheel and" lever being provided with means for turning the wheel in the movement of'the lever in one direction only, a tank carried by said-lever, a supply connection from said water distributing pipe to said tank, a valve controlling outflow of water from said tank, means controlled by the movement of said lever to open said valve when the tank is in lowermost position, and means for raising said lever when said tank is empty.

2. In an automatic irrigator, a Water distributing pipe, frames 'connected to and supporting said pipe,bearings pivotally mounted on each of said frames to swing on vertical axes, wheels respectively journaled on said bearings for supporting said frames, a

vertically movable tank mounted on each of said frames connected to receive water from said water distributing pipe, whereby to impart vertical movement to said tank, and having operative connection with one of the wheels of the respective frame, whereby to operate said wheel by said vertical movement, and valve means controlled by the vertical movement of the res ective tank to permitdischarge of water I when in lowered position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California this 4th day of December, 1912. HARRY QLARK- HEATH.

In presence of MARTHA M. LANGE, M. E. BLABDEL.

rom the tank I end of the distributing pipe is rqthtably so I 

